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US Fears Loss of ICQ Honeypot

Posted by kdawson on from the call-your-mother-but-don't-say-qaeda dept.

AHuxley writes "US law enforcement bodies view the sale of instant messaging service ICQ to a Russian company as a threat to homeland security. In spring 2010, Russia's largest Internet investment company, Digital Sky Technologies, agreed to purchase the service for $187 million from AOL. The US is sure that most criminals use ICQ and, therefore, constant access to the ICQ servers is needed to track them down. As the system is based in Israel, American security service have had access. The article concludes, 'Lawyers [of unspecified nationality] say that to block the deal the US Committee on Foreign Investment needed to cancel it no later than within 30 days after the deal has been announced — so unless the rules are broken, nothing can be changed.'"

11 of 319 comments (clear)

  1. Criminals use ICQ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    But it's the compuserve psychos you have to watch out for.

    1. Re:Criminals use ICQ... by ericlondaits · · Score: 4, Funny

      By now they probably posted the link to this article in the criminal forum and are organizing a mass migration to MSN Messenger, GTalk and Facebook.

      --
      As a Slashdot discussion grows longer, the probability of an analogy involving cars approaches one.
    2. Re:Criminals use ICQ... by tmach · · Score: 5, Funny

      They aren't going to MSN. Criminals don't want to be spammed any more than the rest of us.

  2. Two words: by bl4nk · · Score: 5, Funny

    Uh-oh!

  3. All criminals use ICQ. by OnePumpChump · · Score: 3, Funny

    But good luck, they're behind 7 proxies.

  4. in soviet russia by circletimessquare · · Score: 3, Funny

    kgb c u but usa no c u!

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  5. If *I* were a criminal.... by buanzo · · Score: 2, Funny

    i'd hide myself behind russian proxies and use ICQ. The "intelligence" community is *SO* trusting...

    --
    Buanzo Consulting - 15 Years of GNU/Linux experience, for you.
  6. We use wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    My organization left ICQ a long time ago. We whisper each other in WOW. And if it's a really important deal, we insist on face to face meetings in Booty Bay.

  7. Re:National Security Act by Vlad_the_Inhaler · · Score: 3, Funny

    There is an option missing in the current /. The worst I've ever been in trouble w/ the law ... poll.

    • I have an ICQ account
    --
    Mielipiteet omiani - Opinions personal, facts suspect.
  8. Re:National Security Act by Rashdot · · Score: 3, Funny

    The real question is why to the Russians want it?

    Because they have a history of icey queues?

    --
    This is not the sig you're looking for.
  9. Re:unicode or buffer overflow by Nimey · · Score: 3, Funny

    How would you know that unless you were a COMMUNIST SPY?!?!?

    The computer is my friend!!!

    --
    Hail Eris, full of mischief...

    E pluribus sanguinem